Sunday, December 15, 2013

Slice and bake cookies

This is one of those great time saver recipes, one recipe that make two kinds of cookies, or really as many combinations as you like. I made half mms cookies and half cranberry pistachio, but the recipe would divide well into four for maybe a choc chip version and some cinnamon cookies, so many possibilities. Plus make the cookie dough a day ahead and it can sit in your fridge ready to slice and bake cookies as you need them. There's nothing that says Christmas more than the smell of baked goods wafting from a house, prepare the dough ahead of time and cut and bake fresh cookies for your friends.

For the Cookies (makes 40)
250 grams butter (softened)

1 1/4 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups plain flour

1/2 cup cornflour

2 tablespoons milk

150 grams red and green mms
red and green sanding sugar

1/4 cups dried cranberries (chopped)

1/4 cup pistachios (chopped)

To make the cookies- preheat oven to 160 degrees c.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Stir in flours in two parts, followed but the milk until dough comes together.

Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half.

Add the mms to one half of the mix and kneed lightly until the dough is smooth.

Spread a mixture or red and green sanding sugar onto a tray and roll the mms log of cookie dough to coat.

Kneed the cranberries and pistachios into the second half of dough.

Roll each half of dough into a 25 cm long log and wrap in cling wrap. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour, until firm.

Cut each length of dough in to 1cm thick disks and lay flat on a lined baking tray about 3cms apart.